help, I could feel Drababan’s heavy footfalls behind me, he would catch me long before I got to any sort of safety.
So fucking close! And there she was, a combat Marine, aiming an M-16 directly at me. Why the fuck is she trying to shoot me ? I thought as I felt the heat of the bullets pass my left ear. I heard the grunt no more than three feet behind me as Drababan took at least three rounds in the shoulder, the shots seemed to be about as effectual as a bee stings, he slowed for a heartbeat, letting me gain a few precious steps, but he would not be so careless again . H e would chase me down and use me to block the soldiers’ line of site. I redoubled my efforts — thank god for the treadmill — I had been at an all out sprint for three hundred yards and I still had another three hundred to go. I was feeling the burn in my lungs, but it was amazing what self preservation can do for you. Even running I was contemplating strategy, I could see the marine desperately seeking some sort of firing angle on Drababan . S hould I drop and give her a clear shot ? But if she missed , he would be on top of me in a second or two at the most. I figured she had great training but how comfortable was I with putting my life in someone else’s hands. The decision was made for me as another sweeping cannon blow torched the ground all around the marine, I watched in horror as her body was flung back almost t en feet —was that a hole beyon d her ? A hole! T here was a tunnel in the side of the crater, so that’s what the explosion was for, and also our means of escape. Whoever thought of this was fucking brilliant. And like a flash, there it was . Paul had thought of t his, surprise was always a tactic he liked to employ when we had played Risk and this was the coup de grace of all surprises.
Fifty more yards . A twice wounded Drababan had made up still more ground, I could feel the earth vibrate from his stride. I wasn’t going to make it . I felt the tip of his sword on my shoulder blade. I immediately dropped and tucked, Drababan put one foot into my thankfully protected rib cage and then went sprawling, my ruse worked but now he was between me and my destination , he rose in an instant , almost faster than me , and I had known the hastily laid plan. Somewhere along his fall he had lost the sword, but that was of little concern, he could break my neck with a flick of his arm. He stood tall, blood oozing from his side and shoulder and snout but none of it mattered to him . H e was the T erminator and I was his target nothing else mattered . The gun battle still raged on as more Marines poured from the mouth of the tunnel, the numbers were nearly equal, but the surprise had been gained by the Marines . M ore Devastator t roops lay still but it was beginning to even up as the aliens superior air power began to take over. The more time I stood t here with my thumb up my ass, the more people were going to die. I would make my move, live or die I was going to make my move. I charged Drababan, screaming with primal rage . I wasn’t going to go around him, I had made up my mind to go through him. I ran into a stone wall with all my might and he didn’t budge T he ground beneath me disappear ed , Drababan had picked me up like so much trash . S o here it was, he was going to snap me in two like a toothpick. And then we were moving, fast. Drababan was running for all he was worth.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I screamed above the din.
“Freedom , hu-man . S hut up!” Drababan answered, more blood spittled from his mouth. The world was dark er and quieter, we were through the mouth of the tunnel. Drababan didn’t stop, even as we passed what looked like a c olonel laying down suppressing fire, astonishment blazed on his face for a millisecond as he recovered and barked orders for his Marines to disengage from the heated battle. As we retreated f a rther into the depths , the screams became softer until the world almost shattered,
So fucking close! And there she was, a combat Marine, aiming an M-16 directly at me. Why the fuck is she trying to shoot me ? I thought as I felt the heat of the bullets pass my left ear. I heard the grunt no more than three feet behind me as Drababan took at least three rounds in the shoulder, the shots seemed to be about as effectual as a bee stings, he slowed for a heartbeat, letting me gain a few precious steps, but he would not be so careless again . H e would chase me down and use me to block the soldiers’ line of site. I redoubled my efforts — thank god for the treadmill — I had been at an all out sprint for three hundred yards and I still had another three hundred to go. I was feeling the burn in my lungs, but it was amazing what self preservation can do for you. Even running I was contemplating strategy, I could see the marine desperately seeking some sort of firing angle on Drababan . S hould I drop and give her a clear shot ? But if she missed , he would be on top of me in a second or two at the most. I figured she had great training but how comfortable was I with putting my life in someone else’s hands. The decision was made for me as another sweeping cannon blow torched the ground all around the marine, I watched in horror as her body was flung back almost t en feet —was that a hole beyon d her ? A hole! T here was a tunnel in the side of the crater, so that’s what the explosion was for, and also our means of escape. Whoever thought of this was fucking brilliant. And like a flash, there it was . Paul had thought of t his, surprise was always a tactic he liked to employ when we had played Risk and this was the coup de grace of all surprises.
Fifty more yards . A twice wounded Drababan had made up still more ground, I could feel the earth vibrate from his stride. I wasn’t going to make it . I felt the tip of his sword on my shoulder blade. I immediately dropped and tucked, Drababan put one foot into my thankfully protected rib cage and then went sprawling, my ruse worked but now he was between me and my destination , he rose in an instant , almost faster than me , and I had known the hastily laid plan. Somewhere along his fall he had lost the sword, but that was of little concern, he could break my neck with a flick of his arm. He stood tall, blood oozing from his side and shoulder and snout but none of it mattered to him . H e was the T erminator and I was his target nothing else mattered . The gun battle still raged on as more Marines poured from the mouth of the tunnel, the numbers were nearly equal, but the surprise had been gained by the Marines . M ore Devastator t roops lay still but it was beginning to even up as the aliens superior air power began to take over. The more time I stood t here with my thumb up my ass, the more people were going to die. I would make my move, live or die I was going to make my move. I charged Drababan, screaming with primal rage . I wasn’t going to go around him, I had made up my mind to go through him. I ran into a stone wall with all my might and he didn’t budge T he ground beneath me disappear ed , Drababan had picked me up like so much trash . S o here it was, he was going to snap me in two like a toothpick. And then we were moving, fast. Drababan was running for all he was worth.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I screamed above the din.
“Freedom , hu-man . S hut up!” Drababan answered, more blood spittled from his mouth. The world was dark er and quieter, we were through the mouth of the tunnel. Drababan didn’t stop, even as we passed what looked like a c olonel laying down suppressing fire, astonishment blazed on his face for a millisecond as he recovered and barked orders for his Marines to disengage from the heated battle. As we retreated f a rther into the depths , the screams became softer until the world almost shattered,
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